• The Sadducees were raised in a family of religious leaders to become leaders.

• There is no question that these men were devoted and dedicated

• The problem is that you can be devoted and dedicated, and still be wrong.

o Jesus levels a pretty heavy accusation on the Sanhedrin referring to centuries before, when the Jews killed the messengers of God because they didn’t want to hear what God had to say when it went against their personal desires.

But the LORD God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the LORD’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy.

The Problem: The Faithfully Faulty have a Faulty Focus: Outside Vs. Inside

23.25-26: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so the outside of it may also become clean.

Illustration: You might spend hours cleaning the outside of a toilet, but you are not likely to drink the water in the bowl…right? Why? What if at your favorite restaurant you kept getting bowls that were sparkling on the outside, but the inside didn’t look like it had seen the sink?

• If Your Focus is on the External, then it is on the Temporal

o These could be people who are not really saved.

 They know enough about how to act that they are convincing

 They know enough about what to say that they sound convincing

• Listen, there could be a real danger for some of you here. You can spend time in church with believers, singing the songs and reading the Scriptures, but not really make the decision to be saved…to become a follower of Christ. You know all the stuff and may do all the right stuff, but you are LOST! It’s time for you to stop playing a game at the cross and come to Jesus.